Fragile
by EchowolfS
Summary: Having Nadia all to himself was something Hector thought he would only ever dream about. But now that she is his and he is hers, a simple mistake stirs unwanted memories that left Hector Chavez terrified and Nadia Lobachevsky far too fragile for his liking.


You know what I've never done? Attempted a romance story. So, here we go!

PS. I can't just write a normal one though so implied sex and blood lie ahead.

* * *

Hector held Nadia close to him, one arm cradling her back while the other one rested behind his head. Never did he ever believe the day would come. The day where he would finally have her all to himself.

Nadia was sound asleep. Her head resting against his chest and her body pressed against his. For some time, he had been attracted to her. He had heard that the Water Master was drop dead gorgeous while he was only a specialist, but he was left speechless on his first day as a master. Her piercing blue eyes were nearly level with his own due to her blue, heeled boots. Her blue and black ensemble contrasted with her pink hair, keeping attention to her face. On the second day, he attempted to flirt. He knew the restrictions placed on the both of them as masters, but he couldn't resist trying. It was poorly received, Nadia immediately returning a sharp retort that left him stuttering, but he played it off as an attempt to be friendly.

She knew exactly what he was doing, and their game had begun. A game of quiet complements and glances that lingered for just a few seconds too long. The game had lasted for years, until it had become unbearable. For a long time, he had no clue if it was genuine, but by the end, the emotions in her eyes reflected the ones in his chest, and he knew they had gone too far.

It honestly was only a matter of time, but the rules were a wall between them. No romantic relationships, no marriage, and above all: no emotional or physical relations of any kind between masters. The other masters weren't idiots. Jaha knew exactly what was going on, Nigel was suspicious, and Kimora just acted as if didn't know what was going on.

What made things worse, though, was the idea that his feelings were just an infatuation. Something that grew out of lust rather than admiration and love for the woman.

When Jaha gave the OK after the world nearly ended, Hector thought his heart was going to explode. When she turned to him with the same eagerness, he knew that his feelings would be put to the test.

And tested they were. Nadia was not one to just jump in bed with a person. The two had gone out as often as possible, but dates were few and far between. Being a duel master doesn't pay the bills, so both had other jobs. Finding some free time that matched up for both of their schedules was hard, but not impossible. For some time though, Hector felt as if they were putting off the inevitable. Neither wanting to end whatever had grown between them.

Eventually, it was obvious that both were holding back, and after nearly three months of not having any alone time, the tension had become too much. Jaha, being the number one backer of their relationship, had given both a night off on the same day.

One thing quickly led to another, and Nadia had fallen asleep in his arms. Hector was too giddy to sleep right away. Happy that his feelings weren't just an infatuation, and that Nadia had sought his embrace afterwards, confirming that she felt the same way.

Memories from the night continued to play though his mind, and he was sure they would never leave him. Sighing as he remembered the highlight of the night, something suddenly crossed his mind. Shifting around, he attempted to search for the item that was missing from his memory.

Panic began to tug at his thoughts as he carefully lifted his head and checked the nightstand and floor for a wrapper or the object itself. Once again, there was nothing to be seen. His body began to sweat again as his mind tore through unwanted scenarios.

His movements ended up stirring Nadia. Lifting her head slightly, she cracked open a blue eye while pulling the covers closer to herself.

"Sorry," Hector apologized, but at least he didn't have to wait till the morning or wake her herself. "Hey, stupid question, do you take any kind of birth control?"

She blinked a few times. "No…"

"Oh, hell…" He sighed, sitting up and checking the clock. "I'm sure we're fine but just in case, I'll run by that drugstore around the corner in the morning and get that plan B stuff. They have that kind of thing, right?"

"They should, but I don't need it." Nadia sat up as well.

He stared at her for a moment. "But you said… are you…"

"Sterile? Yes."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry?" Hector suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Hey, it's okay." Nadia knew that he felt as if he offended her. "I'm surprised you don't remember."

"Remember?"

"Hector, you were there when I lost that ability."

He paused for a moment, wracking his brain for information and apparently some lost memories. Then, it hit him. "But he only shot you once… Tell me if I'm crossing a line, but what about your other one?"

"Burst when I was fifteen. Nothing could be saved. I'm surprised the doctors didn't say anything, especially to a 'fiancé'." She turned the conversation, trying to make light of the memories.

"Hey, it was the only way they'd keep me updated." Hector attempted to laugh, but found it difficult.

"They would have told you if you just said I was a friend." She settled down again, pulling him with her. "Come now, tomorrow will be a long day. We need some sleep."

Hector complied, but the stirred memories ensured he would have no sleep at all. All he could think of was the most terrifying moment of his life. The moment he thought he would never be able to breathe again.

* * *

He and Nadia raced side by side after the perp. Nigel and Kimora had gone off after the other robber who had stolen his way into the temple late that night. The thieves were thankfully too distracted by their findings to steal anything from the temple, but the dojo above ground was fair game.

The water and fire masters chased the man to the park. The masters decided before hand to only use creatures when absolutely necessary. Not only was it morbidly unfair and cruel to sick a creature on the two, it would be quite the inconvenience if one managed to get away and blab to the world about not only the temple, but monster controlling people.

"Our guy has been captured and we are in the process of cleaning the slate," Kimora's voice came from his earpiece. "How about you two?"

"This dude must be a track star!" Hector shouted, half to Kimora, half to Nadia. "We're keeping up, but we can't catch him."

What this dude had in speed though, they had in stamina. Every time he would surge ahead, the two were able to eventually catch up when he slowed to catch his breath. Eventually, it became apparent that they were wearing on his nerves.

He started shouting obscenities at the masters, turning and making terrible gestures to catch them off guard. It was all water off their back, but neither appreciated the two mile run in the middle of the night. All either of them wanted to do was to go home, and finally things seemed to wrap up.

The idiot vaulted over a bush and his shoe caught on a branch. The man fell out of their sight for a split second. Hector ran ahead and copied him, clearing the shrub with ease. When he landed, his heart nearly stopped.

The sleek, black gun was being pulled from the perp's belt when Hector's feet hit the ground. Immediately worried about the safety of everyone in the situation, even the perp, he jumped into action. Launching forwards, the fire master grappled for the weapon. The man was rightfully startled that someone even dared to approach him with the weapon, but fought back hard.

Grabbing hold of the barrel and his wrist, Chavez attempted to wrench it away as he struggled against the unwanted grasp. He noticed far too late that the man had a finger on the trigger. When the gun fired, Hector was startled, but didn't immediately think anything of it. It had fired through to the bushes, away from both men's bodies. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that Nadia had been just a few feet behind in the chase.

Her scream broke something inside of him. Snapping in two whatever was keeping Hector from not summoning and sicking Gillaflame on him. Wrenching the gun from the shocked man's hands, there was nothing stopping the fire master from pistol whipping the thief.

He was unable to remember how many times he had hit the guy before knocking him unconscious. By the time his rage was spent, a new emotion and energy flooded through his body. Taking the gun with him, Hector jumped over the bushes again, finding the woman of his dreams curled up on the ground, her hands covering the wound, both coated in blood.

"Nadia!" The gun fell away from his hands as he fell to his knees beside her.

" _Uka, blyad!"_ _She swore in her native language, her face tight with agony._

 _"Where'd it hit you?" Hector asked, trying to keep his voice steady._

 _Unable to speak through the pain, she tried to move one of her shaking hands away from the wound. Unable to get a good look, he gently rolled her onto her back, pulling another cry of anguish from the woman._

 _There was no blood on her back before he rolled her, so the bullet hadn't gone all the way through. Her front, on the other hand, was already covered in the vital liquid. The small bullet hole was low on her abdomen and literally pumping out blood. Ripping off his jacket, Hector carefully removed her hands from the wound and pressed the fabric against it before replacing her trembling hands._

 _Whipping out his phone Hector called for an ambulance. When asked where they were, Hector desperately looked around for some landmark in the park. In the distance, there was a statue near the main road. It was fairly far off, but the best thing he could use._

 _"Chavez, Nadia, we're on our way, where are you?" Kimora asked._

 _"We're at the park near the main road. The bastard had a gun and he shot Nadia!"_

 _"What?!" The nature master's cry only worsened the internal panic Chavez was fighting down._

 _"An ambulance is on the way," He was reassuring himself more than the two other masters. Looking down on Nadia's pained, pale face, he attempted to sooth her. "The ambulance is on the way."_

 _Suddenly unable to just sit and do nothing, Hector decided to get Nadia as close to the statue and road as possible. Carefully, Chavez snaked his arms under her and picked her up. The moment all of her weight was in his arms, she cried out._

 _"_ _Zaebis'_ , Hector stop! Oh, God, put me down!" Her bloody hand tangled itself in his shirt, knuckles white from her grip.

"Shit!" Hector swore to himself. "Nadia, please hold on. We have to get closer to the road."

"No! You could make it worse!" She was near tears from the pain and now desperation.

With this new information, He obediently put her down again and helped put pressure on the wound. An immeasurable amount of time passed between them. Nadia's breathing became ragged, and her body was shaky and weak. Her skin was startlingly pale, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Don't worry, Nadi. They're coming." All he could do was try and reassure her, though he didn't know if she was even able to hear him anymore. Taking one of her hands, he twined his fingers with hers and gave it a tight squeeze. "Just hang on."

"Chavez?" The voice that called out to him was not a voice he wanted to hear at the moment. Nadia instinctively retracted her hand at the sound of another person, though he doubted she would be able to recognize anyone at this point.

"Here!" Hector called out to Nigel and Kimora. The light and nature masters quickly found the two and were rightfully stunned by the scene.

"Oh my God…" Kimora whispered.

"The bastard's behind the bush." Was all he could say. Hector hated that the man would basically be let off scot free due to the fact that all memories of this incident would be gone and forgotten, but the order comes first. It _always_ comes first.

The other masters quietly did their job while Hector stayed with Nadia, now the only one keeping pressure on the wound. Kimora asked if there was anything he could do as well, but there was nothing left to be done. Nigel contacted Jaha while Kimora got rid of the gun and the guy.

Hector nearly cried at the sound of sirens. Thankfully, the paramedics found the group quickly. The situation was quickly assessed and the two medics began their work. One quickly placed an oxygen mask on the near unconscious woman while the other, with Hector's help, placed her limp body on a stretcher.

"Who are you to her?" One of the medics asked him.

Hector's mind went blank for a moment. He had to be there with her. There was no question about it, but would they let a friend in the ambulance with her? "Fiancé."

He would handle Kimora and Nigel later, but for now, he needed to know she would be alright.

The ambulance ride was a fast one. A blur of damage assessment, gauze, and IVs to keep Nadia alive until she could get real help. When they arrived, Hector was still escorted to a waiting room and promised updates every time something new popped up.

His body was shaking as he sat down in one of the chairs. His hands felt stiff and sticky, and when he looked down, he was half surprised by how much blood was covering him. His loose T-shirt was splattered with dark red drying blood, and his pants were also dirty and stiff. He thought about finding a bathroom to clean up, but just didn't have the strength to do anything at the moment.

He waited for almost an immeasurable amount of time. Finally, an older woman who was waiting with her family took a seat next to him.

"Who are you here for?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the rest of the room.

He was caught off guard for a moment. Remembering his lie, he replied. "My fiancé."

"I'm so sorry." She soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "My son in law was in a car accident. We are waiting for news."

Hector didn't know how to respond at first. "I- I'm sorry. I hope he will be okay."

"I hope so too." The woman turned back to look at her family, and Hector followed her gaze. A younger woman was cradling an infant while two smaller children kept close to her side, both staring at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"They were worried about you. My grandson thought you might have been in an accident as well, and that you weren't getting the help you needed." She tapped his arm, bringing Hector's attention back to his blood covered self.

"Oh, this isn't mine." He nearly choked on the words. "It's hers."

"I'm sure she will be fine. Here, tell me your name and go clean up. I'll wait for any news." She patted his back, coaxing him up. More aware than before of the stares he had been receiving, Hector thanked the woman and left to wash away what he could.

It took a surprising amount of time to finally clean the large majority of dried blood away, but his skin was still stained. Giving up on completely cleaning his arms, Hector returned to his seat to find the woman waiting with a doctor. When she saw him approaching, she waved him over.

"She has suffered some serious internal damage. The bullet fractured her pelvis, nicked her femoral artery and vain, and tore apart her right ovary." The doctor explained. "She has been given a transfusion and is being taken up to surgery now."

Hector continued waiting in silence, the older woman only leaving his side when her family was finally allowed to visit her son in law at last. He would forever be grateful to the woman, but had no way of repaying her in any way at that time.

The other masters each called to check on Nadia, but there wasn't much he could tell them. The doctor returned every hour to give updates on the surgery. Apparently, he was an intern, and not her actual doctor. Her actual doctor had known her a long time ago and wanted to keep Hector well in the loop for her sake, not only his own.

It was the next day before the surgery was completed. Hector was guided by the intern up to Nadia's private room in the ICU. The doctors made it clear that while she was doing better, she wouldn't be out of the woods until her blood pressure stabilized and her heart began pumping well enough on its own again.

Without the near constant supervision from the other masters, Hector immediately grabbed one of her hands and settled down in a chair next to her. The relief of seeing her alive again seemed to finally allow his body to relax.

He was grateful beyond words to be able to touch her again, though her skin was cold under his grasp. The doctor explained it was because of blood loss, and motioned to a transfusion bag hanging on the other side of the bed. It was a strangely comforting sight, knowing that little bag was helping her. Nadia was too strong to be like this, pale and limp with all kinds of wires keeping her alive. He never imagined he would see her like this.

Too fragile. Too delicate. Too easily harmed by the world's evils.

Resting his head on the bed, the fire master finally allowed himself to sleep.

When he awoke, the doctor said Nadia could be moved to another room as her heart was now sufficiently beating on its own. Jaha called him once she was settled in the new room, and Hector couldn't keep the pure relief from his voice.

Thankfully, the darkness master ordered him to keep tabs on Nadia in case she "spoke in her sleep" and revealed something about Kaijudo. Hector knew she was just making an excuse for him to stay, but it was greatly appreciated.

It was later on in the morning when Hector felt the hand he was holding onto move. Jerking his head up, a smile slowly formed on his face as Nadia cracked open her eyes.

"Hey," He soothed as she groaned, probably from pain.

Her mouth opened to respond, but only a wordless breath came out.

"Don't, it's okay." Hector squeezed her hand lightly. "You're okay."

* * *

Thinking back on that terrible night, Hector pulled the almost sleeping Nadia closer to him. She responded by wrapping her arms around him. "Don't think about it. I'm alive and healthy and safe. There's nothing more you could have done to help.

"I know… I just," Hector paused for a moment. "I could have lost you that day."

"And I could have lost you when you drained mana from the fire monarch, or when the Choten attacked us. That's just life, Hector. We have to enjoy the time we have, because no one can predict what will happen next." She kissed his cheek, making his skin tingle.

"I know." He pressed his lips against her neck, taking in her sent. "I just hate thinking about it."

"Then don't think about it." Running her hand across his chest, she allowed Hector to pull her under himself again. "Tomorrow's going to be hell." She warned.

"Let's just enjoy the time we have right now." He felt her lips smile under his. "Besides, that's what coffee is for."


End file.
